A Familiar Face Lurking in the Shadows

After reading the [Ancient Notebook], Lin Yu learned that regardless of whether the previous cycles had changed, perhaps because he had triggered some kind of "mechanism" by exploring the fifth floor, the entire Instance had undergone some changes in this cycle.

For example, according to the records in the [Ancient Notebook], he had seen many "patients" in the corridor several times before, and even received a "prophecy" last time.

But this time...

There were no patients in the second-floor corridor.

Based on Lin Yu's analysis of the current situation, they may have disappeared, but it's also very possible that...

"Click!"

"Prophet, open it, buddy!"

Max brandished the Lockpicking Tool in his hand and pushed open a hospital room door.

Inside was a dancing apple head.

"So she really is in the hospital room?"

Lin Yu let out a sigh of relief.

Max said smugly, "How about that, buddy? This lock-picking Item of mine is pretty good, isn't it!"

"The lock picking is really fast... but it's very tiring every time I use it, so I usually just break down doors instead of picking them."

"So, what do you want with this Appleman?"

Lin Yu shook his head.

"That's not what I'm looking for."

Then he looked at Max: "Could you please open all the doors to the wards on this floor?"

Max was stunned. "Huh? What did you say?"

Lin Yu said sincerely, "Please!"

Max was silent for a few seconds.

"This isn't a matter of asking or not asking; I'll be exhausted."

Lin Yu waved his hand. "It's nothing, I have medicine to restore my strength."

"Trust me, this will greatly help us get through this."

Max stared at Lin Yu for about five seconds, trying to find a flaw in Lin Yu's eyes.

But all he saw was sincerity and determination.

So Max gritted his teeth and spoke.

"Alright, I'll risk my life for this! You're here with Robin Instance, so this is the only way I can be of any use. Putting in some hard work will be worthwhile!"

"Besides... if we're lucky, we might be able to get through the first few doors; we don't necessarily have to try them all."

Lin Yu gave Max a thumbs up.

"Keep going, bro, I believe you can do it!"

By this time, Max had accepted reality and become completely optimistic.

She walked to the next door, breathed on it, and rubbed her hands together.

"It's here, it's this one!"

After opening the door, there was a tentacle monster crawling around on the wall.

"That's not it."

Lin Yu shook his head.

Then, the two arrived at the next door.

The third door opened, and Lin Yu saw a familiar face.

The Fuzzball monster, who had been squatting on the bed, waved to Lin Yu.

"This is not a place for you, young man."

Max's face lit up. "Hey? Someone I know? Is it this one?"

Lin Yu looked at the Fuzzball monster and asked, "Although it's not... can we talk?"

The Fuzzball monster laughed three times, "Ha, ha, ha! No way!"

After saying that, it suddenly exploded, its black fur plastering all over the wall.

Max was shocked.

"Wow, bro, what's going on?"

Lin Yu Leng Jing said, "It committed suicide."

As expected, this Fuzzball NPC only provides a one-time hint... and it seems to exist outside of this Instance.

No, it might even be completely superior to this Instance —after all, the hints it gave Lin Yu in the form of "fortune telling" seem to be completely related to this Instance, but in reality, the content definitely includes more than just what's in this Instance.

Moreover, considering that there is likely an Instance higher than this Instance lurking within it, it's not impossible that this entity is also an infiltrator or an incarnation of some High-dimensional being.

Lin Yu looked at the room full of fur and closed the door.

"Okay, next room."

Upon hearing this, Max let out a helpless sigh.

"Why do I have to work overtime even to play a 'Death game'...?"

"Never mind—the next one will definitely be it. Amitabha, God bless!"

The fourth panel, the fifth panel, the sixth panel...

Door after door was opened.

Max's initial optimism quickly turned into helplessness.

Then came his irritability and impatience, which led him to start scratching at the door with an axe.

At last...

It transformed into mere mechanical and numbness.

"Click."

The lock cylinder popped out, and the last door opened.

Max silently put away the lock-picking tools and rubbed his face.

"I really want a free Red Bull that my colleague chilled in the break room... This should be it, right?"

"Anyway, it's... gone."

Listening to Max's statement, Lin Yu began to believe the contents recorded in the [Ancient Notebook]—this "thief" Miss introduced herself as someone who was actually a "Corporate Slave."

Lin Yu looked at Max and patted him on the shoulder.

"You've worked hard, brother."

He truly hadn't expected to be so unlucky after leaving Chen Zhuo; he ended up finding the last available room on the entire floor.

Of course, what Lin Yu didn't expect was...

Miss Max really has something special – she looked like she should have been exhausted long ago, but she managed to finish the whole thing.

As for whether this is what we're looking for in this room...

Lin Yu has already reached a conclusion.

"Smack!"

Although the door wasn't opened, the sounds coming from the crack were enough for Lin Yu to pinpoint the location.

The sound of the chess piece falling was crisp and clean, followed by two sounds of praise.

"A miraculous touch!"

"That was a brilliant move!"

Without a doubt, this was the Two-headed Bird -man I had just seen in the corridor.

Lin Yu took a deep breath and kicked the door open.

The Two-headed Bird -man sat cross-legged on the bed, with a chessboard in front of him.

"This is it."

As Lin Yu spoke, Max let out a sigh of relief.

"Then I'll take a break."

After saying that, she stood there leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, her head lowered, and she remained motionless.

This member of the Night Watcher burned himself out and fell into a deep sleep.

Lin Yu gently closed the door and then went into the room.

The bird's head on the left has a friendly opening.

"Hey, someone's here... wanna play a game?"

The bird's head on the right glared fiercely at Lin Yu: "Get out!"

Lin Yu looked at the two bird heads and sighed.

"One has no eyes, the other has teeth... I can't believe I didn't think of such a simple riddle."

A bird with missing eyes is a crow; a bird with many teeth is a raven.

Lin Yu happens to know one who embodies the Crow and has "two sides."

He strode over, grabbed the right head of the bird with teeth, and spoke viciously.

"I know you're not that good at acting, so whether this thing is your familiar or you've really sealed your Memory away... now come out and say a few words to the real you!"

"Otherwise, I'll devote myself entirely to that generous God of Banquets from now on!"